As my first year at a new school comes to a close, I am both relieved and sad.
I can't believe how much my fifth graders have grown up in the last 9 months. We were going through their Art Portfolios today and I realized how happy I should be with the work we had done together this year. One of the requirements of our magnet school is integrating the arts into another core subject each day. While at first this was difficult as the reading and math curriculum were new to me, it was fun, I learned something, and so did my kids. They each get to pick an integration project to enter into the annual arts fair. A group of five ladies and one gentleman have decided to do their citizenship tap dance for the arts fair. They have taken what the resident artist has taught them in tap class and now are making the dance a little bit more of their own. I am proud of the dedication they are putting into this dance. Two of my other students are going to do a drum duet on the djembe. This instrument was taught to them by another resident artist that taught them about African culture and music. I have seen one of the boys mature a lot, because if we had discussed him doing a duet in September he would have told me I was crazy! The remaining students picked various visual arts projects that they have done throughout the year, including creating Greek vases, self portraits, Anasazi hides, flowers inspired by Georgia O'Keefe and more. As I look at this year just through the eyes of art, forgetting CMTs, DRAs, promotion, and everything else, my kids have had some world class experiences in fifth grade. They have met some people that provided them with experiences that will shape them into the characters they will become. I am glad I have been given the opportunity to share this with my students.
I am relieved because it has been a year of firsts: first year at a new school, first time teaching in an Enrichment after school program, first year as the District Facilitator, first year being the adviser for the yearbook...It has been a long year, a year I have learned a lot about myself, and a year under my belt that will make next year a little easier.Nicole 2009
I can't believe how much my fifth graders have grown up in the last 9 months. We were going through their Art Portfolios today and I realized how happy I should be with the work we had done together this year. One of the requirements of our magnet school is integrating the arts into another core subject each day. While at first this was difficult as the reading and math curriculum were new to me, it was fun, I learned something, and so did my kids. They each get to pick an integration project to enter into the annual arts fair. A group of five ladies and one gentleman have decided to do their citizenship tap dance for the arts fair. They have taken what the resident artist has taught them in tap class and now are making the dance a little bit more of their own. I am proud of the dedication they are putting into this dance. Two of my other students are going to do a drum duet on the djembe. This instrument was taught to them by another resident artist that taught them about African culture and music. I have seen one of the boys mature a lot, because if we had discussed him doing a duet in September he would have told me I was crazy! The remaining students picked various visual arts projects that they have done throughout the year, including creating Greek vases, self portraits, Anasazi hides, flowers inspired by Georgia O'Keefe and more. As I look at this year just through the eyes of art, forgetting CMTs, DRAs, promotion, and everything else, my kids have had some world class experiences in fifth grade. They have met some people that provided them with experiences that will shape them into the characters they will become. I am glad I have been given the opportunity to share this with my students.
I am relieved because it has been a year of firsts: first year at a new school, first time teaching in an Enrichment after school program, first year as the District Facilitator, first year being the adviser for the yearbook...It has been a long year, a year I have learned a lot about myself, and a year under my belt that will make next year a little easier.Nicole 2009